Opponents see the move as an extraordinary attempt to make it harder for lawmakers who want to thwart the prime minister's plans for Brexit, as the deadline for Britain to leave the European Union looms on Oct. 31.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson claimed his request to suspend Parliament was the best way to pursue his "bold and ambitious domestic legislative agenda." Ben Stansall / AFP - Getty Images file

An offer from the world's richest nations to help Brazil stamp out the Amazon fires with $20 million in aid is a goodwill gesture, but it will barely make a dent in preventing further destruction of the rainforest's vast and intricate ecosystem, observers who have studied the region say.

"Twenty million dollars is a drop in the bucket," said Robert T. Walker, a University of Florida professor who has conducted environmental research in the Amazon for 25 years.